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The Little Girl: Intense New Novel Raises Bold Questions About Therapy for Child Abuse. Are Some Victims Beyond Help?

Written by Thatcher C Nalley, ‘The Little Girl’ fuses fact and fiction to examine the dilemma between a therapist’s passion to heal and a victim’s inability to overcome their trauma. Exposing the true anguish abuse forces on millions of children, the novel’s gripping narrative leaves readers with plenty to think about.

Chico, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2014 -- According to statistics, reported child abuse cases have increased 350% since 1980. However, while an abundance of help and therapy exists, there’s no cookie-cutter approach to healing this harrowing evil. A compelling new novel by Thatcher C Nalley explores this concept in raw and frank detail – while highlighting the hidden trauma of child abuse that is rarely made public.

‘The Little Girl’ is as startling as it is important. While primarily fiction, the narrative is infused with the author’s decade of experience working in a behavioral health environment.

Synopsis:

“Why does God make bad people?”

Little Molly had asked this often. Therapist Lindy Wellbrook never answered. Yet if the counselor would have just answered, even in just the simplest of terms, could it have prevented the little girl from suddenly jumping to her death? Lindy could deliberate this over and over, but as she was about to find there was would be no easy answer.

The little girl Molly sees her world as being the princess in The Land of Pretty, that she has the power to communicate with dolls, and that her friend Pen protects her though no one can see him. Lindy sees Molly’s world as delusions created from a traumatic childhood. Only one of them is right.

Lindy Wellbrook is a new therapist hungry for the challenge to get clients through a speedy recovery. She has no time for those who sit in self-pity. Her approach is to get clients up and on with their lives in the quickest time possible. No matter how deep the wound.

Then Molly walked in. Eager to prove that her theories of recovery are accurate, even with traumatic cases, Lindy takes on the troubled 8 year old Molly. Having no idea what she is about to take on. In the easy first steps Lindy quickly first finds herself in the bizarre imaginary world called “Pretty” and that Molly is convinced she can talk to dolls. But when Molly’s volatile split personality Pen surfaces, the therapy turns fierce for he will stop at nothing to sabotage the little girl’s recovery. However, Lindy will stop at nothing to get Molly through a fast track of recovery, not even Pen.

Things take a drastic change when Molly suddenly jumps to her death and Lindy is left baffled in wondering where the sessions had gone tragically wrong. In an obsession to find out the therapist relives the past therapy sessions through recorded tapes. This time when Lindy listens her outlook on Molly’s horrific childhood takes a whole different direction. Each tape brings a new twist and turns everything Lindy thought she knew about Molly, Pen, The Land of Pretty, and even herself upside down. The closer Lindy gets to the truth the more she realizes that maybe some things are best left unanswered.

Especially the question - “Why does God make bad people?”

“I have a passion for educating others about the prevention of child abuse, having worked with many victims over the years. While it’s constantly in the media, the true hidden consequences of child abuse are often brushed under the rug. I wanted to use this book to expose them, pulling no punches,” says Nalley.

Since its release, the book has garnered a string of rave reviews. For example, Diana L comments, “This is a chilling story, full of suspense and also the feelings of someone who constantly relived the events leading up to the death of the child this book is centered around. The “woulda, coulda, shoulda” feelings of what if she had done this differently. This story takes us into the dark side of troubled children and the aftermath when things go horribly wrong.”

C.J. Kohler was equally as impressed, adding, “This book took me by surprise. It was very well written and each page was interesting. I'm saving it to read again in a year or two.”

About Thatcher C. Nalley
Thatcher C. Nalley (born December 14,1969) was raised as an only child and spent most of her life in Northern California, USA. Out of high school Thatcher spent 7 years active duty in the United States Army, which entailed traveling the world. Most recently she worked for a local Mental Health Crisis Unit center where clients were assessed during mentally unstable crisis situations. This included interacting with people of all ages who have a range of behavior disorders from depression to schizophrenia. Thatcher has also been a peer counselor and educator for the prevention and dynamics of child abuse trauma. She is a single mom of two beautiful girls who currently resides and writes in Northern California.